Man makes it to Serious Offences Court using a false identity

This week a defendant made it all the way to the Serious Offences Court using the same name as an Assistant Superintendent of the Police (ASP) before his false identity was uncovered.

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne was unsure of “Junior Simmons” when he came before her on Tuesday.

She asked him if that was really his name, and asked him if he hadn’t been to the SOC before, under a different name.

It was confirmed by the court staff that the defendant had a previous matter under a different name.

The defendant admitted that he came there before under a different name, and he tried to insinuate that he had more than one name, including Joseph Delplesche.

The court then began to question him on what the name on his Identification Card is, but he did not give them a straight answer. However, when Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche asked him how many IDs he has, he said one.

The court stood down the matter for the arresting officer to investigate. The prosecutor chided the officer, telling him that it’s an “investigation”, and that he should “find out what the man really name”.

Sherman Kerry Delplesche, 40 years, was brought back to the court a little while later.

He was charged that, on November 4, in Layou, in addition to having in his possession 1,476g of cannabis and he also gave a wrong name to a police officer, telling the officer that he was Junior Simmons of Georgetown.

Sherman admitted his guilt to both charges.

The court heard that the Rapid Response Unit had arrested Sherman at 1:45 that morning, during a stop and search operation. They had stopped passenger van H5261, which was travelling to Buccament. The defendant, a passenger in the van, had a black and silver backpack with him, which was searched. Three brown taped packages were found in the bag, with material resembling cannabis were found inside.

Sherman admitted that it was his marijuana, and told the officer that he works with a partner but has no money to pay him, so he was given some cannabis to sell.

He gave the officer the name Junior Simmons and was charged under this name. Investigations revealed that his real name was Sherman Kerry Delplesche of Greiggs.

He is also known to the court as “Cutie Joseph”.

Sherman’s explanation for giving a different name to the court was that he came before the Chief Magistrate a couple months ago, and did not want to come back before her again.

Browne told him that every matter is dealt with on its own merit.

Sherman kept saying that he was really sorry “in truth”.

The prosecutor told him to “stop that nonsense” now, referring to giving false names.

The magistrate told him that he can’t do those things, and commented “when you make your trouble stand up like a man.”

She adjourned the matter to the following day, in an attempt to find all of his antecedents.

However, the following day, the prosecution stated that the Criminal Records Office doesn’t have a record, but they know he appeared before the court.

Browne decided to hand down a fine of $1,650, for the cannabis possession charge, to be paid by December 23, with a default of six months in prison.

She said that she considered the second charge with all the “shenanigans” he displayed when arrested.

Sherman apologized again.

A $400 fine was imposed for this charge, to be paid forthwith, with a default of four months in prison. Browne told him that when he comes before the court they wouldn’t bite him.